Information Technology

The Degree

Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)

The Outlook

With the global explosion of mobile devices and internet-based technologies, and the need to manage digital information and communications in secure environments, the field of information technology is undergoing rapid changes. The A.A.S. degree program in Information Technology at Finger Lakes Community College is continually evolving to meet the demands of the field and the regional industries and businesses.

Some of the most in-demand IT skills employers are seeking in 2015 include programming/application development, project management, help desk/technical support, security/compliance governance, Web development, and mobile applications and device management.

The Program

In the A.A.S. in Information Technology degree program, you will complete a set of core courses that provide a strong foundation for your studies in information technology. You will complete courses in application programming, networking, and hardware and operating systems.

Upon the completion of the program, you will be required to complete an internship experience, which will allow you to apply the skills you learned in lab-based classrooms to a real-time business environment.

Advisement Areas: Based on your individual career goals, you will select one advisement/specialty area to focus your studies on. FLCC's program includes two separate advisement areas in networking and security and Web and multimedia application development.

Advantages: The program is accredited and flexible. It meets several employers' tuition reimbursement policies and allows you to earn college credits for your studies. In addition, it permits you to receive the preparation necessary for certification exams. While certifications rapidly become obsolete, college credits retain their value and provide you with a strong foundation for your professional growth. An additional advantage of FLCC's program is that it can be completed on a part-time basis during evening hours.

Online Learning

FLCC's online learning offers you a flexible and convenient way to reach your educational goals. With this option, you can pursue your A.A.S. in Information Technology at least 50 percent online. Learn more about FLCC online learning.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this degree program, students will be able to:

Demonstrate the ability for sound reasoning and problem-solving by planning, implementing, documenting, testing, and executing computing solutions, and by troubleshooting and diagnosing technical problems in existing computer systems and networks.

Demonstrate the ability to safely assemble, configure, and optimize modern computer systems.

Effectively organize their thoughts, plan a presentation, and deliver presentations to an audience of their peers and instructors.

Demonstrate the ability to be effective team members, whether in the workplace or in society, by learning how to work together and communicate with each other in order to create a technology solution or final project within a required time-frame.

Discuss key ethical issues and global concerns in relation to the field of information technology, and their responsibility to this field as information technology professionals of the future.

Demonstrate the ability to research, identify, evaluate, analyze, select, and implement current technologies as appropriate in order to implement effective computing solutions.

The Experience

Create and troubleshoot networks in FLCC's newly designed networking lab.

Complete the computing sciences portal course, which provides exposure to all of the specialties within the computing sciences field in addition to personal one-on-one advising.

At the end of your studies, you will complete an internship, which will provide you with an opportunity to practice your skills in a real-world setting. During your internship experience, you will:

Learn how to apply your job seeking skills in preparation for entering the marketplace.

Learn how to solve problems on the job.

Develop a final presentation for faculty members outlining the skills you obtained.

Depending upon the advisement area chosen, you will complete eight additional courses within your specialization. Courses offered are lab-based utilizing hands-on learning and current productivity and development tools.

In the networking and security advisement area, you will complete courses in routing and switching, Linux, systems administration, command line network administration, computer law and policy, information security, ethical hacking and computer forensics and investigation.

In the Web and multimedia application development advisement area, you will complete courses in programming mobile applications, user interface design, visual basic, database concepts, Web development I and II, server-side scripting and multimedia development.

Resources: For Information Technology majors, FLCC provides three computer labs on main campus, two computer labs and a networking lab at the Victor Campus Center, and one computer lab at both the Wayne and Geneva campuses. Operating systems and software applications are current and include productivity applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access, and Adobe Creative Suite products including Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Flash.

Certification: In addition, FLCC offers computer certification and testing at the Victor Campus Center, where you can test for certifications in areas such as Microsoft Office User Specialist, Microsoft Certified Systems Expert, CompTIA's A+, Network+ and iNet+.

The Graduates

The Information Technology program is designed to prepare you for positions such as help desk technician, network technician or administrator, PC technician, applications developer, database administrator, programmer and website developer.

Graduates may also choose to take additional liberal arts courses at FLCC and transfer to four-year colleges and universities such as:

SUNY Technical Colleges at Alfred, Delhi, Morrisville and Canton

Rochester Institute of Technology

The Scholarships

As an Information Technology student, if you meet specific award criteria, you will be eligible for the Brenda S. (Brockman) Beck Memorial Scholarship. For information on this scholarship, contact the FLCC Foundation.

The Faculty

The faculty in the Computing Sciences department brings a wide range of talent along with ample field experience to the classroom. Each faculty member specializes in a particular area of the discipline, and continually strives to stay current in that area. FLCC is committed to providing you with the most up-to-date programs and courses, and in addition strives to provide you with an excellent education at the certificate and associate degree levels.